The Rural Population Transformation and Education in Australia

Abstract

This paper aims to relate the Australian data on rural-urban migration and economic change to education. It illustrates that there has been scant polity attention to the fundamental role ofeducation in the changing nature ofAustralia's rural areas. Australla's rural policy has been firmly driven by the massive political power ofthe rural industries and mining lobbies; the voice ofrural communities being lost to the winds. Governments should be alert to the needs ofrural Australia. Issues of social justice and equity are being raised and heard as never before and ordinary Australians are increasingly aware of, and cherish, our rural communities, our rural image. and our sense-ofourselves as sharing a rural heritage. Recent data show that regional Australia, in favoured areas, is prospering. A number ofpolicy considerations are canvassed with the conclusion that leading-edge information and communications technologies are an essential prerequisite if regional Australia is to prosper and metropolitan areas and the south-east are to avoid undesirable crowding. Isolated rural areas are more problematic and a policy approach to a sustainable future for them is not immediately apparent to the author.

Australia's Sustainability: A New Policy Front for Rural Education?

“…With declining proportions of state and national populations, many rural areas are struggling to remain viable in relation to essential human services like education and health, in the face of rising costs per unit of services required (as defined by certain views of economic costings and benefits), and the pervasive impacts of globalisation on rural economies, amongst the most visible of which is a steep decline in the demand for traditional labour (McSwan, 2003). -Globalisation and the power differentials it creates have had a significant social and economic impact on rural and remote areas…[while m]ajor cities have benefited from the focus on the knowledge-based production that global capitalism demands, drawing in capital, people and resources‖ (Alston & Kent, 2003, p. 5).…”

“…Historically, rural schools have played a crucial role in building individual and community capacities (Kyle, 1990;Higgins, 1994;Lyson, 2002;McSwan, 2003;Halsey, 2007). While, as stated already, for many years there has been a relentless focus on maintaining the economic viability of rural schools through consolidations and closures, it also needs to be recognised that there are numerous features of rural schools and rural education ‗ripe' for progressing city-to-country.…”